Ethnic Albanian party in North Macedonia offers deal to clear way to join EU

SARAJEVO: The largest party representing North Macedonia’s ethnic Albanian minority offered to pull its ministers from the government to meet a demand from the opposition to clear the way for European Union membership talks.

The Democratic Union for Integration (DUI) said the resignations of its ministers would come into effect only if the main opposition nationalist VMRO-DPMNE votes for constitutional changes to recognise a Bulgarian minority, as demanded by Bulgaria to allow the country to join the EU.

Last year, North Macedonia’s parliament passed a French-brokered deal aimed at settling a dispute with Bulgaria which had vetoed Macedonian-EU talks.

Bulgaria lifted the veto on condition that North Macedonia amends its constitution to recognise a Bulgarian minority. The opposition protested against the deal, arguing that it should include a requirement that Bulgaria recognise the Macedonian language.